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Foreign Minister: "UNRWA" is the only one capable of meeting the needs of Palestinian refugees

New York3 min read

Foreign Minister: "UNRWA" is the only one capable of meeting the needs of Palestinian refugees

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, on Thursday, chaired, alongside the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, and the Acting Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Christian Saunders, the ministerial meeting to mobilize support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), with the participation of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

Safadi emphasized in his speech during the meeting that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the only international agency capable of effectively responding to and meeting the needs of Palestinian refugees, stressing the need to continue its support politically and financially. He stressed that supporting UNRWA is a moral responsibility and a humanitarian commitment. Safadi said that the agency operates in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, confirming that the services it provides are "essential."

He added: "No one can replace UNRWA. This is the reality that we must recognize," stressing that what the agency does "cannot be compensated" and that it is "indispensable." Safadi pointed out that "UNRWA" suffers from a huge funding shortage, making it unable to fulfill its duties, noting that its mission includes providing food for hungry children, medicine for the sick, and education for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees.

He said that supporting "UNRWA" is a "duty, a moral obligation, and a humanitarian commitment," explaining that supporting the agency means supporting hungry Palestinian children, women who do not have shelter, and sick people who will not be able to get the right medicine without it. Safadi warned that allowing "UNRWA" to be dismantled would deprive hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza, and two million people in the region, of food, shelter, and education, considering that it means depriving children of the future.

He stressed the need to not change the mandate of "UNRWA," pointing out that the agency was established by a decision of the United Nations General Assembly, and its mandate is supported by the majority of the international community. Safadi said: "UNRWA must be enabled to implement its mandate, and we must not allow any change in this mandate."

He stressed that the host countries are already doing enough and cannot be asked to do more, confirming that "UNRWA" must continue to shoulder all the responsibilities entrusted to it by the international community. Safadi called for the protection of "UNRWA" staff, saying: "We do not allow another UNRWA staff member, or any other United Nations staff member, to be killed due to disrespect for international law, and due to the disregard of international humanitarian law."

Safadi called for continued support for the Palestinian people, "UNRWA," and justice, stressing the need to support the agency "politically and financially."

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